Attor



(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet l.

D. S. CLARK".

APPARATUS FOR SCORING, GUTTING,AND.PRINTING CARDBOARD BOXES.

No. 591,209. Patented Oct. 5,1897.

ATTORNEY.

(No Model.) I 5 Sheets-Sht 2.

D. S. CLARK.

APPARATUS FOR SCORING, GUTTINGHAND PRINTING CARDBOARD BOXES. No.591,209. Patented Oct. 5,1897.

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(No Model.) 5 SheetsSheet 3.

D. S. CLARK.

APPARATUS FOR SCORING, GUTTING,AND PRINTING CARDBOARD BOXEs.- No.591,209. Patented Oct. 5,1897.-

(No Model.) 5 SheetsSheet 4.

D. S. CLARK. APPARATUS FOR SCORING, GUTTINGJXND PRINTING CARDBOARDBOXES.

N0. 591,20 9. Patented Oct. 5, 1897.

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(No Model.) 5 SheetsSheet 5.

D. s. CLARK. APPARATUS FOR SCORING, GUTTINGAND PRINTING CARDBOARD BOXES.No. 591,209. Patented 001;. 5,1897.

WIN/8858 I 3: I [I A //v VE/V my fig 4mm 6 Q4 2 I 4 M ATTORNEY. y

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM H. FORBES, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR SCORING, CUTTING, AND PRINTING CARDBOARD BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 591,209, dated October5, 1897. Application filed July 30,1896. Serial No. 601,058. (No model.)

122 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DWIGHT S. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improved Apparatus for Scoring, Cutting,and Printing Cardboard Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is related to a large number of machines for making andfolding paper boxes. It is especially designed to facilitate themanufacture of such from cheap material diflicult to manipulate byestablished methods, but quite satisfactory for its purpose in otherrespects.

In the drawings which illustrate my invention, Figures 1 and 2 representin elevation from the side and in plan my scoring-machine in itssimplest form. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a scoring-cylinderenlarged,with part of another. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are exag- -geratedlongitudinal sections of parts of the scoring-cylinders with thescoring-rules in cross-section.

Fig. 6 is a similar section of a cutting-rule. Fig. 7 .illustrates amodified construction of the scoring-cylinder body. Fig. 8 shows in sideelevation, diagrammatically, a press, for printing, scoring, andcuttingsmall box-blanks from a web. Fig. 9 is a plan of the same. Fig.10 is a plan view of the large cylinder in the above. Fig. 11 is theface of one of the scoring-cylinders fiattened out. Fig. 12 is the faceof a cuttingcylinder flattened out. Fig. 13is aunit piece of cardboardthat has been scored and cut with the waste parts removed. Fig. 14shows, diagrammatically, in elevation a modified form of a printing,scoring, and cutting press.

Fig. 15 is a partial section of two opposing cylinders. Fig. 16 shows amodified form of scorer in elevation and partial section.

- In the manufacture of paper boxes the a cardboard blanks therefor arecut out by sharp rules 'or blades seton edge and forced by pressurethrough the stock in configurations corresponding with the outline whichthe blanks are to have. While this is being done, those lines upon theblank which cross it who're it is subsequently to bend to, form thesides and dented, but not cut, by blunt rules forced selves after oneimpact are accomplished by three ends of the box are also in againstthem to a sufiicient depth. The effect of this scoring operation is tostretch, draw out, and rearrange the fibers locally without cutting themand thereby fit them for bending definitely on straight lines withoutbreaking. In the art of box-making these operations have been longpracticed with perfect success, and in many cases they are sufficientand satisfactory; but it sometimes happens that box-stock is made ofpoor material, having a short fiber-and little cohesion, and it may thenprove to be impossible in the way described to indent, thesheetsufliciently with the scoring-rules without breaking its '65surface and affecting in consequence both the strength and theappearance of the box edges,and angles. I accomplish a successfulscoring of such poor stock by pressing against the lines to be scoredwith a blunt rule, but to such a partial extent only as shall produce nooverstrain or break. Then in the same indentations I apply the pressurea second time, forcing the blunt rule deeper, then a 7 third time or afourth, if necessary, into the same depression, whereby the requiredflexibility without rupture will be reached, for I e have discoveredthat while a sudden impact with the blunt rule will break the fiber ifitis forcible enough to do what is wanted a series of gentler cumulativeimpacts accomplishing a like indentationwill not do so, probably becausetime is allowed for the strained, and displaced fibers to recover in.virtue of their elasticity and rearrange themand before the next againtries them. f In Figs. 1 and 2 a scoring-machine of sim-' pleconstruction is shown in which stoek'of the poorest quality may besuccessfullyscored in parallel lines. In this case the sheets (marked10) are in the formof long strips, and one of them has been fed from thefeed-board 12 to the feed-rollers 14 and is passing through the scorer.The indentations in this machine 5 pairs of scoringcylinders, (marked 16and 10', 18 an'dlS, 20 and 20.) Oneof thesecylinders,18,enlarged, isshown in longitudinal section, with part of lower roll 18, in Fig. 2. Itwill be seen that the upper is the indenting-cylinder, the indentingrules or blades (which take the form of thin'flat steel disks or rings)projecting from the body of the cylinder by the full amount with whichthey are to enter the paper. It willalso be noted that the relief on theupper cylinder corresponds with a depression on the lower or intagliocylinder. When, therefore, in my scorer the sheet presented by thefeed-rolls 14 is caught between 16 and 16 and is pulled onward by thedrawing and delivering rolls 22, the indentations produced by the actionof the relief-rule on the upper cylinder and which appears upon theupper surface of the'paper has its counterpart in a correspondingprojection on-the under side of the same, so that the material of whichthe cardboard is composed is not simply thrust aside to the right andleft when the impact of the rule takes place, but is in large part bentdownward into the hollow grooves below it and thereby flexed more orless sharply on the blunt edge of the blade which depresses it.

In the machineillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, while the upper cylinder.16effects but little, that marked 18, running along the same lines on thepaper, does twice as much, presses the stock still farther into thehollows in the cylinder 18, and when at last the sheet reaches 20 and 20the full indentation is given it, because the rule in relief on thecylinder 20 has the full Height above the body of that cylinder. Byproceeding in this way I am enabled without loss of time to effect bythree impacts what it would be impossible to get of serviceable qualitywith one, the process of scoring in accordance with my invention being asequence of acts. Y

Persons familiar with the art will also perceive that I depart widelyfrom the usual construction of scoring-rolls or any other scoringsurfaces or forms. In such the rules stand high-that is, much higherthan the thickness of the cardboard to be scored; but in my invention Imake the relief offered by the rules such that when the latter havepenetrated and displaced" the stock downward as far as the rule candepress it then the body of the cylinders (as in the case of 16 and 16,18 and 18*, 20 and 20) shall be respectively in contact with both sidesof the stock between them. This provision is of much importance, for thestock being held fast at the time when the rules indent it cannot escapeor buckle, and in consequence receives the indentation with precision.This advantage would follow if only a single pair of scoring-cylinderswere used, (which with good stock is obviously feasible,) but it isespecially valuable when two or more pairs of cylinders areindispensable to do the work upon poor stock, each scoring rule or diskor ring having then to register with the indenture on the paper from therule that preceded it, wherein it is aided by the fact that the body ofeach pair of cylinders holds the paper fast at all times.

Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are partial longitudinal sections of the adjacentsurfaces of the cylinder-bodies just described, showing part of thescoring ring or rule 24, the body of the upper cylinder 26, thedepression in the lower cylinder 28, and the paper 10, held between thescoring pair. These figures are much exaggerated for the purpose ofmaking intelligible the manner in which the successive scoring .takesplace. It will be seen that in Fig. 3 the projection of the rule or ringis very little,

that in Fig. 4 it is greater, and that only in Fig. 5 is it sufiicientto fill the whole of the intaglio groove in the lower cylinder with thedepressed stock. As I have explained, stock of very poor quality can bescored by the means set forth herein with so much certainty and successthat its inferior quality internally does not manifest itself in theappearance of the finished work; but a still lower grade may also beworked, which I accomplish by cutting away an annular sloping'depressionon the body 26 of the upper cylinder close to the scoring-ring, as at 30in Fig. 7. This is so restricted that sufficient of the'body of theupper cylinder remains unaffected by it to hold the paper from swerving.The effect of this sloping depression is to render easier the drawingand rearranging of the fibers and other material constituting the stockin the paper to be scored, the conditions being such that the necessarystretch of the material is extended over a much larger area than when itis concentrated substantially over the intaglio groove, and the strainon any one part is thereby decreased,which, as a consequence, decreasesthe riskof rupture.

In Figs. 8, 9, and 10 my invention is shown in a much more elaboratedform. In the machine illustrated in these drawings a completed box-blankof simple construction is cut from the stock presented as a'web and thefolding-lines are scored at the same time. Advantage is also taken ofthe necessary thickness of the stock to print upon its face from aform-cylinder adapted for that purpose IIO and constituting an integralpart of the machine. In this machine the large intaglio cylinder 32 (seeFig. 10) carries allthe depressions which are to be entered in registerby the scoring-rules on the small cylinders 34' 34 34 Each of thesescoring-cylinders has upon its surface the rules or projectionsnecessary to score one unit in length of the borblanks placed side byside. Such a unit is shown in Fig. 13, the waste stock being removed.Fig. 10 shows in plan the intaglio cylinder 32, with its bearers andgear, butremoved from the machine. I

Fig. 11 represents the surface of one of the scoring-cylinders flattenedout, and it is also a unit in length, which goes evenly into theperimeter of the large cylinder 32. The cylinders 34', 34 and 34 aregeared to 32', and therefore they return each of them to the same placeand each enters all the depressions in every unit of surfacethat passesunder it. The bearings in which the small cylinders run are supported onstiff springs, as indicated at 46, in a very usual way, and by means ofthe screws 48 the cylinders down so as to enter the stock, which isflush with the bearers 42.

Asin the machine for parallel scoring, hereinbefore described, thecylinder 34 enters the cardboard least, 34 more, and 34 the most of allthree. Beyond these scoring-cylinders is the cutting-cylinder 50. Thiscarries upon its surface the sharp rules or blades 52, which are shownin Fig. 9 and also in Fig. 12, where of this cutting-cylinder with InFig. 14 a modified construction of a boxmachine, in combiis showndiagrammatically in side elevation. In this machine the threerelief-cylinders 66, 68, and run against the intaglio cylinders 66*, 68,and 70, respectively, each pair scoring a complete unit of the blanksdistributed upon the web 44. Analogously to the previrather, they cutthrough the being, as before, on this pair of cyldouble purpose ofkeeping the rules sharp and causing the web in a connected andmanageable stateto the rolls 56 and 58. This machine takes the stockfrom'a roll, and it passes to the scorers first over animpressioncylinder 74, where it is printed twice for every revolution ofthe form-cylinder 60, or once for every unit of length. Afll theseseveral pairs of cylinders are geared together as pairs, and all of themare driven by one horizontal shaft carrying bevel-gears meshing intocorresponding bevel-gears on the cylinder-shafts in a manner wellunderstood by skilled mechanics and not herein claimed.

From what has been said and from the fact that I have hitherto shown anddescribed rules on cylinders only it must not be inferred that myinvention is not applicable to other wellknown methods of scoring.

In Fig. 16 a diagrammatic scoring-press is shown in Which the web 44 isfed intermittently between bed and platen presses worked by toggles 76and the cam on the shaft 78. The platens 80 rise in this case, and therules in the beds 82 above them indent the stock. The two first may beregarded as capable of doing the scoring successfully and the last thecutting, while the rolls 56, or equivalent device, actingintermittently, draw the web of the work upon it every this cylinder 1sset down solidly on the bearers, the cutting-rules register with thescoring already done upon the web 44, but the sharp rules do not goquite through the cardboard,

enough of cohesion being left Beyond these the breaking-rolls 58 runcontinuously at a surface speed a little in excess of that at which thepaper is traveling, and reason of their closing suddenly at short theytear off and separate the blanks,

upon the outside of a box can be well done without any packing on theimpression-cylinder, (which theintaglio cylinder becomes under thecircumstances,) the box-stock itself acting as packing. Ordinato printsuch cardboard should be understood that paper-stock which quently inmaking the boxes so that the depression becomesthe external angle of thebox and not, as might be supposed, the internal, which would result fromstill following up the bend given the stock by the indentingrule. Oneeffect of this is to secure the most stretched and weakest fibers in theindented stock a release from strain when the scoring is completed,which the subsequent folding of the box diminishes still further.

The machines described are sufficient for a great deal of work; but theyobviously admit of much change without affecting, essentially, theprinciples involved.

In this specification I have invariably shown the scoring-rules asregistering with and entering corresponding depressions in the surfaceagainst which the scoring is done, so that the cardboard-stock isdepressed and forced into such depressions or grooves. This course hasbeen followed, because the intaglio surface is of controlling importancein the production of good work; but I do not wish it understood inconsequence that a scoring done against a flat or ungrooved cylindricalsurface would have no effect or give no aid in the folding of a paperbox. On the contrary; when the stock is very thick the effect isconsiderable, and in all cases aline scored upon a fiat surface willdetermine the line on which the stock will bend, though it may andprobably will break more or less in doing so, even when my method ofprogressive scoring is used to help it. The increased flexibility ofhard surface seems to. be due to the compression and thinning of thestock under the rule, which simply on that account must bend more easilythan other parts of the blank, butalso to the actual destruction of someof the fibers caused by the heavy and exceedingly'local pressure and theweakening of the cardboard accordingly. The best possible result thatcan be had without the grooved surface, which embosses the under side ofthe stock, is far short of what is wanted, and the intaglio surface canrarely be dispensed with profitably.

In the foregoing the term cardboard as employed is meant to include theseveral varieties of stock used in the manufacture of folding paperboxes and like receptacles. One such very common variety is composed ofa short and dark-colored filling covered or coated at the time of itsmanufacture (generally on one side only) with a thin paper of betterquality both in texture and color. The indentation of such stock takesplace upon the covered side, which becomes the outside of the box, andany rupture of such covering weakens its angles and shows at once thedark filling below. This explanation is made to show the importance ofprogressive scoring described and claimed in this specification.

What I claim is- 1. Amachine for scoring cardboard having a plurality ofscoring-rules of similar outline, abed on which the cardboard rests, andmeans for actuating the different rules successively to operate on thesame line of the cardboard, the succeeding rule compressing the samescoring-line to a greater extent than the preceding rule, in combinationsubstantially as described.

2. A machine for scoring cardboard having a plurality of scoring-rulesand a plurality of corresponding intaglio depressions, means foractuating the rules to operate in succession on the same portion ofcardboard and compress it to successively greater extent into thesuccessive depressions, and means for moving the cardboard from oneoperative position to another, all 'combined substantially as described.

3. In a machine for scoring cardboard, a plurality'of bluntscoring-rules of identical outline but progressively greater projection,a similar number of surfaces having intaglio depressions correspondingto the outline of the scoring-rules, means for passing the cardboardfrom one scoring couple to the succeeding scoring couple, and means forsimultaneously compressing scores of like outline, but of progressivecompression on the cardboard, in combination substantially as described.

4. In a machine for scoring cardboard, a plurality of cylinders havingscoring-rules 'of like outline but of successively'greater projectionrelatively to the opposing'cylinder, a similar number of cylinderscoupled in surface movement with the rule-cylinders, and. means fordriving the cylinders at similar surface speed so that the same line ofcardboard shall be acted on successively by the rules and compressed tosuccessively greater extent, in combination substantially as described.

5. In a machine for plurality of pairs of cylinders coupled together torotate with equal surface speed, one cylinder of each pair having ablunt scoringrule projecting therefrom, the succeeding cylinder having arule of similar outline but greater projection, the cylinders coupled tosaid rule-cylinders having intaglio depressions corresponding in outlineto the rules, and means for driving all the cylinders so that the ruleson succeeding cylinders shall operate on the same line of cardboard asthe preceding rule, all combined substantially as described.

6. An organized mabhine for scoring and printing cardboard, having aplurality of blunt scoring-rules of" similar outline but of successivelygreater projection successively compress the same lines of cardboard asthe sheet moves from one to the other, and a printing couple having formand impression surface actuated at similar speed as the scorers, toprint on the cardboard as the scoring progresses, all combinedsubstantially as described. 1

7. In an organized machine for scoring, printing, and cutting cardboard,the plurality of cylinders driven at similar surface speed and havingscoring-rules of like outline but successively-increasing projection tooperate on the same surface of 'the cardboard, a printing and animpression cylinder moving at the same surface speed nected to thescoring-cylinders, and-coupled cutting-cylinders driven at like surfacespeed, all arranged to operate on a continuous strip of cardboard,substantially as described.

8. In a scoring-machine, a scoring-cylinder consisting supported by thecylinder-body and extendarranged to ing beyond the general parallelsurface of said scoring cardboard, a

of blunt rules on edge inclosed and and conbody to the extent only thatthe cardboard is entered or displaced by the rules, with inclinedannular spaces or depressions in the cylinder-face close to eachprojection; in combination with an intaglio cylinder placed appositelyin relation to the scoring-cylinder and registering therewith, butremoved therefrom by nearly the thickness of the cardboard to be scoredsubstantially as described.

9. In a scoring-machine two or more scoring-cylinders in sequence havingrules in relief upon the surfaces increasing in elevation from the firstcylinder to the last; in combination with and geared to a large intagliocylinder provided with grooves to receive the projecting rules upon thescoringcylinder in register, with means for feeding the cardboard to bescored to and under the scoringcylinders, and with means for driving allthe cylinders; substantially as described.

10. A box-blank machine consisting of the following elements: two ormore scoring-cylinders acting in succession; in combination and inoperative proximity with an intaglio cylinder and in register with thedepressions in the same; with a cutting-cylinder also in on erativerelation and in register with the intaglio cylinder; with bearers on thelatter and on the cutting-cylinder to keep the cutters positively fromactual contact with the metallic surface out against; and with means forconveying the cardboard to and from the machine; substantiallyasdescribed.

11. A box-blank machine consisting of the following elements:aform-cylinder carrying printing matter in relief, in operative relationwith a bare intaglio cylinder, provided with bearers and in combinationwith the same; with two or more scoring-cylinders placed in operativeproximity to the intaglio cylinder and in register therewith; with acutting-cylinder having bearers and registering with the

